Protesters Seek New UC President’s Ouster Over Immigration Stand

November 12, 2013 5:33 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — University of California President Janet Napolitano’s first regents’ meeting as head of the system drew about 100 protesters in San Francisco on Tuesday, demanding she be removed from the post.

On the first of a three day UC Board of Regents meeting at the UCSF Mission Bay campus, demonstrators called Napolitano’s former role as Secretary of Homeland Security a threat and insult to undocumented students.

David Douglas, a senior at UC Berkeley, said he wants the regents to know they completely reject what Napolitano stands for.

“For them to appoint someone with no background in public higher education to head one of the most important positions in the world for public higher education is a cynical threat to the reinvestment and reintegration of this University of California,” he said.

Organizer and activist Yvette Felarca said the mass deportations under Napolitano’s leadership at Homeland Security fly in the face of progress made by UC students fighting for citizenship rights.

“Until Janet Napolitano is replaced, she is simply a lightning rod for further protests, for further student activism and she has no legitimacy in the UC system,” Felarca said.

Napolitano was not present when dozens of protesters spoke against her appointment during the public comment period during the meeting. During her appearance at the meeting, Napolitano said she wanted to create a more open and accessible university.